60 years of hate, lies, more lies and malaise

On January 1, 1959, I was a 6-year old boy waking up and rushing to the dining room for breakfast. (My brother was a year younger and ran with me that morning)

It seemed like another day, or another chance to eat and get ready for “Los Reyes Magos” coming in a few days.   Back then, our parents would take us to a park where they had real camels and our favorite “reyes” were there to greet the children.

My brother and I got to the dining room and noticed that my dad was on the phone and my mom was seriously listening to his conversation.  Our mom also had her eye on the TV news.  My dad had our little sister on his lap as he went on and on and on the phone.

Mom pointed us to the dining table and we started eating toast and drinking our milk.

Then Mom came over and whispered: “Batista se fue!”

None of us kids understood that morning what it all meant. We certainly had no idea that a communist dictatorship was coming.   My father told me later that he was most fearful of the “power vacuum” that Batista’s hasty departure had created.

Within months, Cuba began to change, i.e. the mass executions, the mock trials, the political prisons, the attacks on the press and the radicalization of the regime. Elections never came and Castro quickly started to blame the US to distract Cubans from all the promises that he never kept.

We eventually moved to the US and I’ve spent most of my life here.

However, it still hurts to see how much damage the communist dictatorship has done to Cuba and the people who stayed behind.

It’s hard for me to smile when I think of this day in Cuban history.

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We remember J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972)

We remember J. Edgar Hoover who was born on this day in 1895.  He died in 1972.   

Hoover was appointed FBI Director in 1924.   He built an amazing crime fighting organization that earned the respect of most Americans.   He also kept files on US presidents and harassed his opponents.

On balance, he built the FBI.   He also stayed too long.   As a result, we now have a 10-year term for the FBI Director.

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January 1, 1959: “Batista se fue” dijo mi mama!

(My new Babalu post)

Like other 6 year old kids in Cuba, I slept through the events of the night before.

My recollection is our home the next morning, or 55 years ago today.

My dad was on the phone, my mom was getting our breakfast ready and listening to the phone conversation.

The TV and radio were on with news reports of Batista fleeing a few hours earlier.

"Que paso mami?" I asked?

"Batista se fue anoche" she answered!

Her face had a simple expression: Just eat your "pan tostado" and say little.

My parents had lived through a few of these tumultuous moments before.

They were children when Machado took over. They were a young couple starting a new family when Batista overthrew the government.

My guess is that they thought that this 'tormenta" would pass, too and they could go back to their lives again.   It had always worked out that way before!

Unfortunately for my parents, and the rest of us, this "cambio" was engineered by communist gangsters who were never serious about reforms, social justice or reestablishing the 1940 Constitution that they kept talking about.

These communist thugs were all about absolute power. In a short time, the Cuban people had their first taste of it when men and women were thrown into political prisons, executed after "circus trials" and people were demonized for calling Castro a communist.

I don't have a lot of recollections of that morning. I do know that a dagger was intentionally put in Cuba's heart by a madman and his clan of madmen.

Maybe some 6-year old in Cuba can wake up one morning and hear from his mom that "el comunismo se acabo". 

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January 1959 and the destruction of Cuba

It’s another January and a time to celebrate a new year but also remember a few weeks in 1959.

No one understood years ago what it all meant. We certainly had no idea that a communist dictatorship was coming.  At least, my parents did not.

Within months, Cuba began to change, i.e. the mass executions, the mock trials, the political prisons, the attacks on the press and the radicalization of the regime. 

Elections never came and Castro quickly started to blame the US to distract Cubans from all the failed promises.

We were the fortunate ones. We got to grow up in the US.  Some were not so unfortunate.  They had to stay in Cuba or saw their fathers executed or spend time in a political prison.

A sad anniversary for Cubans, and for truth and freedom.  It turned out to be a terrible month for the people of Cuba.

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A week in January that changed our lives

It’s another January, and a time to welcome the new year, but also remember one very sad day in 1959.

Sixty-one years ago, the Baltimore Colts were still celebrating what they called “the best football game ever played,” their victory over the New York Giants in the NFL title game. (No Super Bowl back then.  I’m not even sure that the AFL had started playing).

Over on the radio, The Chipmunks had the # 1 song on Billboard USA.  Who can forget Alvin and “Christmas Don’t Be Late”?

Down in Cuba, my parents were trying to figure out how everything would work out.  Batista fled and Castro was in!   

It did not happen like what we saw in “Godfather 2,” with people rushing to their boats.  Most Cubans were sleeping or celebrating the new year.  My parents did not hear about it until the next morning.

No one understood that morning what it all meant. We certainly had no idea that a communist dictatorship was coming.  At least, my parents did not.

Within months, Cuba began to change, i.e. the mass executions, the mock trials, the political prisons, the attacks on the press, and the radicalization of the regime. 

Elections never came and Castro quickly started to blame the U.S. to distract Cubans from all the unkept promises.

We eventually moved to the U.S. and this is now my adopted country.  I am a very proud citizen of the U.S.  My three sons were born here and the youngest one served in the U.S. Army.  We are very proud of his service.

However, it still hurts to see how much damage the communist dictatorship has done to Cuba and the people who stayed behind.

As my late father would often remind us, we were the fortunate ones. We got to grow up in the U.S.  Some were not so unfortunate.  They had to stay in Cuba or saw their fathers executed or spend time in a political prison.

A sad anniversary for Cubans, and for truth and freedom. 

It turned out to be a terrible morning for the people of Cuba.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

We remember Hank Greenberg (1911-86)

The great Hank Greenberg was born in New York on this day in 1911.    He became one of the great power hitters in the game:

Greenberg won 2 MVPs with Detroit; 

In 1935, he hit .328 and led the AL in HR (36) and RBI (168).   The Tigers won the World Series that year; and,

In 1940, Hank hit .340 with 41 HR & 150 RBI.   

His career was cut short by military service, 1941-45.   Nevertheless, he retired with a .313 average, 331 HR, 1,274 RBI in 1,394 games.   

He was elected to The Hall of Fame in 1956.

Greenberg was one of the first Jewish stars in baseball and died in 1986.

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

1863: The Emancipation Proclamation went into effect

On January 1, 1863, President Lincoln issued The Emancipation Proclamation.   

It marked the end of a story that began in July 1862 when the President began working on the draft.

The Proclamation was a controversial move.    It took effect on January 1, 1863 but many states did not see the executive order as binding.

President Lincoln knew that the order was not the long term answer.  This is why he fought for the 13th Amendment that ended slavery in the US in 1865. 

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